Newark housing update: Zoning change approved for The Overlook; roads in at Conor's Pass

NEWARK — Next year may be remembered as the start of a home-building era in Newark, following 16 years since Park Ridge was built off River Road on the west end.

Realtor and developer Steve Layman continues the preliminary work on The Overlook, a 66-lot residential subdivision on Cherry Valley Road, and the 113-home Conor's Pass subdivision on Horns Hill Road.

The Newark Planning Commission approved two zoning changes Tuesday night for The Overlook, changing 1991 and 2023 Cherry Valley Road to single-family residence, high-density district zoning. The land at 1991 Cherry Valley Road had been zoned multi-family condo district and the property at 2023 Cherry Valley Road had been multi-family residence district.

City Council could approve the zoning changes at its Dec. 6. meeting and the planning commission will consider the final plat on Dec. 14.

“It’s one step at a time," Layman said. "We’re OK with the pace of things. Still a lot has to happen. We’ll be ready to go in the spring.”

The Overlook on Cherry Valley Road will have 2-bedroom homes

The Overlook will be built on 25 acres of the 41-acre tract just south of Reddington Village, west of Cherry Valley Road and the Evans Foundation Bike Path and east of Thornwood Drive. The remaining acres will be left as open space.

The biggest challenge is the terrain.

“It’s pretty steep, so it makes it interesting to develop, but that gives it its appeal and attractiveness," Layman said. "The views are really nice. It’s challenging grading of roads and grading of lots and it takes more engineering and thought on how stuff fits together.”

Layman said earlier this year The Overlook subdivision would consist of mostly 2-bedroom homes for older couples, priced in the $325,000 range.

Conor's Pass on Horns Hill Road has roads and utilities

The Conor's Pass development is further along, with the utilities and roads in for the 49-lot first phase, although the final layer of asphalt will wait until spring. Still remaining are a development agreement with the city and and odds and ends such as street lighting plans and setting of mailboxes. Home construction could begin next month.

The lots have been sold to home builder D.R. Horton, which will be building throughout the winter, Layman said.

In another action, the commission denied a lot split for Newark Ohio Investors Inc. for land at 425 Senior Drive, the location of Sanctuary Senior Living.

Marcus Banasik, of Newark Ohio Investors LLC, said the preliminary plan was to build 12 to 16 multi-family units in an initial phase, with a potential for 48 two-bedroom units or "50-some" one-bedroom units.

"The main thing we wanted to say was we wanted to keep as much of that floodway and wooded area as possible," Banasik said. "We're not looking to bulldoze everything."

Zoning Inspector George Carter reported to the commission that the lot split would leave 425 Senior Drive, which has 82 units, not in compliance with the standards for parking. The new lot would not conform to the standards for rear yard setback, density requirements and parking.

Commission member Bruce Ennen said, "I have some problem not only increasing the non-conformity there, but automatically creating a lot that's going to be non-conforming in use. I don't think that's good practice, so I'm going to make a motion to deny this lot split."

Banasik said the commission's denial means, "We'll have to go back to our vendors and our engineers."

The address for Newark Ohio Investors is 50 W. Fifth Ave., Columbus.

kmallett@newarkadvocate.com

740-973-4539

Twitter: @kmallett1958

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: New housing: The Overlook gets zoning change; Conor's Pass gets roads